Purmerend was originally a fishing village, but a banker from Amsterdam was allowed to build a castle there, which was completed in 1413. 31 years later Purmerend was given a charter to become a city. There is a large indoor shopping centre in the middle of Purmerend that has all of the major shops and stores that you will usually find in any Dutch town or city. It also houses some small, interesting and eclectic shops, however, and more of these can be found in the surrounding streets. There is an interesting little market close to the shopping centre as well.
